Written questions by Begum.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the proportion of standard daily living awards that would fail on renewal under the proposed four-point rule for the Personal Independence Payment.

By 2029/30, we estimate that after behavioural responses, 320,000 claimants will have lost entitlement to the standard daily living component as a result of the 4-point policy change. More information on the impact of the proposed PIP changes on current and future claimants can be found in Table 4A of the Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.Note:There will be no immediate changes. Changes to PIP eligibility and rebalancing of UC aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from April 2026 for UC and November 2026 for PIP, subject to parliamentary approval.PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. At the award review, claimants will be seen by a trained assessor or healthcare professional and assessed on individual needs and circumstances.We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions, and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result.We also intend to launch a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

Whether people who receive notifications of their Personal Independence Payment award being reviewed before the implementation of the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria will be assessed in relation to the existing criteria if that review is not completed until after their implementation.

We have committed to introduce a new requirement that, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria, claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment. There will be no immediate changes. Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews that are undertaken from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Amnesty International entitled Social Insecurity Report, published on 25 April 2025.

The UK Government takes its international obligations seriously and values the insights provided by Amnesty International and notes their recommendations. The UK Government is committed to tackling poverty across the UK. Good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. The proposals in our plan for Making Work Pay and our Get Britain Working White Paper and our urgent work to bring forward our Child Poverty Strategy reflect our commitment to delivering lasting change. Alongside this as announced in our Pathways to Work Green Paper we will establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the two child limit on survivors of domestic abuse.

No such assessment has been made. DWP is fully committed to the prevention of abuse and ensuring that victims/survivors get the support they need when they need it. Supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse can help bring down barriers to help citizens towards work. DWP Jobcentres are a safe space with domestic abuse trained Work Coaches who provide support to victims/survivors of domestic abuse, for example assisting with new Universal Credit claims, work-related easements, special provisions for temporary accommodation, same day advances, and signposting to expert third-party services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed cut to (a) the Universal Credit health element and (b) PIP on survivors of domestic abuse.

The information required to make such an assessment is not readily available. This is because to identify survivors of domestic abuse would require manual processing of claimant information, and the information would only be available where it is included in departmental records.

Pursuant of the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42059 on Social Security Benefits: Reform, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of the measures in the Green Paper: Pathways to Work, published on 18 March 2025 on (a) the health of those people receiving related benefits and (b) societal health inequalities.

A programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper and to monitor and evaluate their impact will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42955 on Employment: Disability, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of measures in the Green Paper: Pathways to Work published on 18 March 2025, on (a) part-time and (b) full-time employment opportunities for (i) disabled people and (ii) people with health conditions by 2029-30.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 7 April 2025 to PQ 42955.

What estimate she has made of the number of people who receive the Personal Independence Payment who have a terminal illness with a six month prognosis who will no longer be eligible following the introduction of the four point requirement on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria.

We recognise that people nearing the end of their life are some of the most vulnerable people in society and need fast track and unqualified support at this difficult time. People who claim, or an in receipt of, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and are nearing the end of their life with 12 months or less to live, will continue to be able to access the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP. We will also maintain the existing fast-track route under the Special Rules for End of Life and where claims are currently being cleared in two working days. This fast-track route will not be impacted by the new eligibility requirement for PIP.

Pursuant of the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42955 on Employment: Disability, whether she plans to make that estimate.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 7 April 2025 to PQ 42955.

On what evidential basis the requirement for four points on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria for Personal Independence Payments was determined.

PIP provides a contribution to extra costs, but over recent years claims have increased significantly, outstripping the growth in disability prevalence. Some people get PIP from scoring 1, 2 or 3 points, low-level functional needs which could individually be managed with small interventions or the addition of an aid or appliance. We believe that focussing PIP on those with a higher level of functional need in at least one activity - people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – is the right thing to do to keep the costs of PIP sustainable.

Pursuant of the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42058 on Poverty: Children, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the uptake of Carer’s Allowance on (a) rates of poverty among carers, (b) carers’ labour market participation and (c) levels of demand for public services.

The proposals have been carefully designed to protect the most severely disabled people. For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes to disability benefits, including for linked entitlements such as Carer’s Allowance, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. The Department published both an Equality Analysis of impacts alongside the Spring Statement. A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of the four point requirement on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria for Personal Independence Payments on affected people's (a) working life, (b) education, (c) health, (d) wellbeing and (e) human rights.

No estimate has been made. The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost, as it would require a bespoke survey of claimants.We are consulting on how best to support those who are no longer eligible for PIP and linked entitlements, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Pursuant of the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42958 on Pathways to Work and her Department's Green Paper entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working published on 18 March 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of that Green Paper on the number of (a) children and (b) adults in relative poverty in each region in the 2029-30 financial year.

No assessment has been made on this basis. The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of children who live in a working household who are in (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty after housing costs.

Statistics on the number of children in absolute and relative poverty after housing costs in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication at Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab). The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) in the Households Below Average Income dataset. The latest statistics were published on 21 March 2025 and are for the financial period 2023/24.

What estimate she has made as to the number of people who (a) receive Personal Independence Payment and (b) will no longer be eligible for the award as a result of the introduction of the four point requirement on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria who are living in (i) absolute and (ii) relative poverty after housing costs.

Statistics on the number of individuals living in families that are in absolute and/or relative poverty and where at least one member is in receipt of Personal Independence Payment are published on Stat-Xplore ( https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) in the Households Below Average Income dataset. The latest statistics were published on 21 March 2025 and are for the financial year 2023/24. The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts. No assessment has been made of the number of people who will no longer be eligible for a Personal Independence Payment award as a result of the introduction of the four point requirement on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria who are living in poverty. However, the department has estimated that 250,000 families who were estimated to be in relative poverty after housing costs before the policy change will lose income as a result of this policy change in the financial year 2029/30. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 50,000 families due to uncertainties inherent in the modelling approach. Analysis is at a Great Britian level, although to ensure consistency with the Households Below Average Income methodology, the relative poverty line has been calculated at a UK level. Changes to PIP have been modelled on an England and Wales basis given it is a devolved benefit. The analysis does not model any labour market impacts of this reform. We are consulting on how best to support those who are no longer eligible for PIP and linked entitlements, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

What estimate she has made of the number of people who (a) receive Personal Independence Payment and (b) will no longer be eligible for the award as a result of the introduction of the four point requirement on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria who are living with a child in (i) absolute and (ii) relative poverty after housing costs.

Statistics on the number of individuals living in families with children that are in absolute and/or relative poverty and where at least one member is in receipt of Personal Independence Payment are published on Stat-Xplore ( https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) in the Households Below Average Income dataset. The latest statistics were published on 21 March 2025 and are for the financial year 2023/24. The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts. No assessment has been made of the number of people living with a child who will no longer be eligible for a Personal Independence Payment award as a result of the introduction of the four point requirement on a single descriptor on the daily living activities assessment criteria who are living in poverty. However, the department has estimated that 50,000 families with children who were estimated to be in relative poverty after housing costs before the policy change will lose income as a result of this policy change in the financial year 2029/30. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 50,000 families due to uncertainties inherent in the modelling approach. Analysis is at a Great Britian level, although to ensure consistency with the Households Below Average Income methodology, the relative poverty line has been calculated at a UK level. Changes to PIP have been modelled on an England and Wales basis given it is a devolved benefit. The analysis does not model any labour market impacts of this reform. We are consulting on how best to support those who are no longer eligible for PIP and linked entitlements, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Pursuant of the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 42058 on Poverty: Children, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of the measures in the Green Paper: Pathways to Work, published on 18 March 2025 on (a) the number of children in relative poverty and (b) the societal health inequalities of children.

The government's impact assessment regarding Health and Disability Reform is available at Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, and some information was published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found in ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of working-age adults who are in work and live in (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty after housing costs.

Statistics on the number of working-age adults living in absolute and relative poverty after housing costs by family work status in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication at Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab). The latest available data can also be found on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) in the Households Below Average Income dataset. The latest statistics were published on 21 March 2025 and are for the financial period 2023/24.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the two child benefit limit on (a) the levels of child poverty since July 2024 and (b) the projected levels of child poverty in each year until 2029-30.

No assessment has been made using current methodological practices on this basis. However, the department has previously produced a poverty impact assessment using OBR Spring Statement 2025 Round 2 economic assumptions on an outdated version of the DWP Policy Simulation Model. Using this methodology, the department has estimated the poverty impact removing the two-child benefit limit. Removing the two-child benefit limit has been estimated to decrease the number of children in relative poverty after housing costs by 300,000 (2.2%) in 2025/26, 300,000 (2.3%) in 2026/27, 300,000 (2.3%) in 2027/28, 350,000 (2.6%) in 2028/29, and 350,000 (2.6%) in 2029/30. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 50,000 and are on a UK basis. The poverty impacts are independent of the underlying trends in poverty so they are not an estimate of the total change in poverty over time. The model used to produce this estimate is a pre-Spring Statement model and will be updated with the policies announced at the Spring Statement in due course. Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and we will bring forward the Child Poverty Strategy as soon as we are able.The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.

What estimate she has made as to the number of people in receipt of Personal Independence Payments who are in (a) full time and (b) part time work.

No estimate has been made. The information requested on (a) full time and (b) part time work is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The June 2024 Green Paper Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper - GOV.UK included an estimate that around 16% of PIP claimants are in work.